Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

A Carmarthenshire mum-to-be has been supporting the Beat Flu campaign by encouraging expectant mothers to protect themselves and their little ones from the seasonal virus. Bancyfelin resident, Mrs Lisa Wilson, who is expecting her second baby, has been speaking of her reasons to take part in Hywel Dda University Health Board’s annual flu campaign. Lisa, who is one of thousands of women across Wales to receive the vaccination this year, said: “I decided that I wanted to get the flu jab while I was pregnant with my first child because I wanted to protect my baby as well as myself. Now that I’m expecting again, I know how important it is to get it done. "Catching flu can be serious because it can lead to complications in pregnant women and other at-risk groups, and like any mother, I’ll do anything I can do to stop it from spreading and harming my children. "There are many myths around how safe the vaccine is, but there’s no evidence that it causes mothers or their babies any h...

David Williams, of Melin y Coed, Bancyfelin, near Carmarthen, has been awarded France’s highest honour. President Hollande has appointed him a Chevalier in the L’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur. He has received the insignia of the Order and a prestigious medal. The accompanying letter emphasised that the honour was ‘in recognition of your acknowledged military engagement and your steadfast involvement in the Liberation of France’. It added that ‘We owe our security and freedom to your dedication because you were ready to risk your own life’. Mr Williams who is 97, was one of the brave soldiers who helped defend and liberate France during World War Two. As a soldier in the ‘British Expeditionary Force’ supporting France’s fight for freedom in May 1940, David Williams was evacuated with the British and French troops from Dunkerque. Following action with the 8th Army in North Africa and Italy, he took part in the liberation of France, landing in Normandy in 1944. Onc...

Bancyfelin’s new milestone has been unveiled. Local historian Bruce Wallace is pictured being helped by Cllr Graham Edwards, mayor of St Clears, as he unveils the new milestone installed in Bancyfelin by the Bancyfelin Education Community Trust. It was the Romans who were the first great road builders in Britain and the first to measure road distances. When they left, the roads developed in response to community needs and by the 1800s, there were around 20,000 milestones of varying designs in Britain and some of these were on the A40 road from Carmarthen to Hobbs Point in Pembrokeshire. Their purposes were to inform travellers of direction and distances, help coaches keep to journey times, help calculate fees for changes of horses at the coaching inns and before 1840, calculate postal charges. Bancyfelin village was on the main highway to Hobbs Point where travellers embarked for Ireland and it had its own milestone in the form of two metal plaques placed in a V-shape projecting o...

On Tuesday, 9 September 2014 at 4pm, Bancyfelin village will be celebrating its new milestone. On the day, Bruce Wallace will be there to unveil the new milestone which is located in the grass bank at the front of Bancyfelin Primary School. He will be joined by the Bancyfelin Education Community Trust trustees who raised the funds for the project and the donors who made the project possible. Everyone in the village is also invited to join in the celebration. In May, the Bancyfelin Education Community Trust responded to a local suggestion that the milestone be replaced and as a result, a generous grant was made available through the Carmarthenshire Landscape and Heritage Grants Scheme. The original milestone, which was similar to others on the main A40 highway from Carmarthen to Hobb’s Point, was located on the school wall. Reference to the original milestone, with distances marked, can be found on older maps of the village. When the front of the school was re-modelled ...

The new Bancyfelin Trail plaque was unveiled today. Photo: County Councillor Philip Hughes unveils the new Bancyfelin Trail plaque funded by the Carmarthenshire Landscape and Heritage Grants Scheme. Joining Cty Cllr Hughes were members of Bancyfelin Primary School’s school council, the mayor of St Clears, Cllr Graham Edwards, Bruce Wallace (left), Vicky Hart-Griffiths, head teacher, Emyr Price, Heritage Grants Officer and St Clears’ Town Clerk, Emma Smith (right).

St Clears’ mayor Cllr Graham Edwards inaugurates the first of a series of computer sessions held at the Fox and Hounds Inn in Bancyfelin. Also standing in the picture is Clare Pilborough, who organises the sessions through KITe, a digital skills development scheme which helps older people keep in touch.

There were 132 brilliantly inventive decorated tea cosies auctioned at the St Davids Diocese Mothers' Union Welsh Afternoon Tea Party in Bancyfelin village hall. The event was opened by President, Brenda Evans, who said how much she appreciated the superb display of tea cosies all of which would help raise awareness of the Mothers' Union’s Wheels Appeal which supports members in distant lands as they work for families in need.    The winner of the best tea cosy competition was Grace Alibson, leader of the Cardigan Mothers' Union branch. Her tea cosy was so beautifully embroidered on the Mothers' Union logo theme that it is being kept for Diocesan occasions.  Ann Gill, the Wales Provincial Mothers' Union President, who was present on the day, congratulated the winner. Almost all the hand made tea cosies, which came in all colours, shapes and sizes, were sold at auction to the delight of Mari Thomas, the Mothers' Union member who masterminded the c...

A St Clears man has been fined £200 for building a two storey garage and store without planning permission. David Bryan Howells pleaded guilty at Carmarthen Magistrates Court to an offence contrary to Section 179 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council. Kelly Byrne, prosecuting, said that in August 2012, the county council, as local planning authority, issued an Enforcement Notice relating to land at Lodge, Bancyfelin, Carmarthen. It alleged Mr Howells, who lives at Pwll Trap, St Clears, had, without planning permission, erected a two storey garage and store on his land at Lodge, Bancyfelin. The Notice required Mr Howells to reduce the height of the garage and store to the same height as he could have built without needing planning permission, that is, single storey and therefore not an excessive height. He was given three months to carry this out unless an appeal was made to the Planning Inspectorate. No valid appeal was...

Clwb Hwyl a Sbri, a new club for children between four and 14 years old, was launched in Bancyfelin just in time for the summer holidays. Based in Ysgol Bancyfelin, Clwb Hwyl a Sbri will provide a much needed affordable and quality childcare facility during the school holidays. Headmistress Gwyneth Stevens and Samantha Thomas set up the club and received an RDP Sir Gâr Rural Community Inclusion grant to purchase outdoor play equipment for the children. “The grant has given us a great boost, allowing us to provide even better facilities for the children,” explained Mrs Stevens. “We are all delighted to be able to offer this additional service to parents and carers, plus we have also created two new jobs.” Clybiau Plant Cymru also helped with setting up the club and will continue to support them. Clwb Hwyl a Sbri will be open all year round, except the Christmas holidays. To find out more you can contact Clwb Hwyl a Sbri by phone 07532 187913 or by email clwbhwyl@bancyfelin.ysgol...

Buses will be running to the lost passenger transport link of Bancyfelin in the New Year. The new services will be experimental with its survival dependant on use. Carmarthenshire Council transport officers have been able to come up with a solution to the demise of the bus service running from Carmarthen to Bancyfelin – and now hopes that the public supports the service they asked for. Issues with buses not being able to safely turn right from Bancyfelin onto the A40 have led in recent years to bus operators removing their services from the village. It has led to many complaints because this has meant that whilst it is currently possible to catch buses from Bancyfelin into Carmarthen, there is currently only one daily bus back to the village from Carmarthen In addition there are no buses from Bancyfelin to St Clears where several residents of the village have their doctor’s appointments. With no bus companies willing divert their buses and the small numbers of passengers historically u...

Bancyfelin village in west Wales has two great reasons to be very proud during the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. Two Bancyfelin boys, Michael Phillips and Jonathan Davies, are key members of the Wales rugby team and are acquitting themselves with honour on the field. During the Rugby World Cup quarter final match against Ireland, both scored skilful tries at critical points in the game. Indeed, through their achievement Bancyfelin can claim to be the only village in Wales to have produced two important players in Wales’ rugby team. As a result, local residents can enjoy the glory which such achievement brings to Wales and to Bancyfelin, in particular. Celebrations are well to the fore in the village with the school, the Post Office, the Fox and Hounds Inn and every lamppost and notice board carrying pictures of the famous duo. On Saturday morning, the Fox and Hounds Inn was packed with supporters watching the semin-final against France on the big screen. Bancyfelin, which is five mil...

Staff, patients and visitors at BMI Werndale Hospital in Carmarthen sponsored Breast Cancer Care’s ‘Pink Friday’ campaign during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to raise vital funds for the charity by having a Pink Day where staff worn an item of pink clothing and sold pink cakes to raise money. Consultant Breast Surgeon Mr Simon Holt, who works at BMI Werndale Hospital, commented: “Almost 46,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK. That’s one person every 11 minutes. "Every day I see women and their families affected by breast cancer. I urge women to perform regular self examinations and to go to their GP if they find any unexpected changes such as a new lump, change in shape of the breast or blood stained nipple discharge. With early diagnosis and treatment a woman can take the first positive steps to increase their chances of successful treatment.” Executive Director at BMI Werndale Hospital, Caroline Daymond said: “Supporting Breast Cancer Care is so impo...

More Carmarthenshire children have signed up to kick-start their day the healthy way. Children at Bancyfelin Primary School, Carmarthen, have joined their school breakfast club so that they can tuck in to a healthy breakfast with friends before their school day begins. Carmarthenshire County Council has one of the highest uptakes of breakfast clubs in Wales, and Bancyfelin Primary School has become the latest school to sign up. Run by Carmarthenshire Catering Service, the Primary Free Breakfast Initiative is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government. The clubs are open from 8am, and pupils can enjoy a free breakfast consisting of a choice of non sugar-coated cereal, toast, fruit and a glass of milk or fruit juice. It was first introduced in Carmarthenshire in September 2004, when eight schools were involved. Since then additional schools have joined and to date there are 106 participating schools. Catering services manager Sandra Weigel said: “We are delighted that so many schools are re...